Keon Johnson

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wizenheimer said:
it's kind of hard to gauge Johnson's shooting ability at this point. He's taken 72 three's and made 26 of them; 36.1%. But if he'd made 5 less he'd be at 29%. And 5 more he'd be at 43%. Meaning the sample size is just too small right now to make any real judgement. But maybe he can be a decent 3pt shooter. Of more concern is that he has taken 136 two's and is only converting 34.6% of them. His 3pt% is higher than his 2pt% and than seems weird
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with steady minutes the past several games his shooting percentages are increasing which is what I want to see
 
Mr. Robot said:
if keon develops into some player, that clippers trade might look different in a hindsight

lets see if joe cronin saw something nobody has
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When we first got him in the trade I did some digging and saw some articles from a few teams that were targeting him before the draft.
He definitely was on some team's radar. Like a few of you have alluded to, he is really using the playing time to get better. He has a lot of potential for sure.
By season 3 he could look like an entirely different player.
 
Scalma said:


Shooting 44% from the field and beyond the arc the last five games, averaging just under 16 points and over a steal per. Also would have more assists if scrubs like Elleby could knock down an open shot.
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looking at these highlights, kid has impressive tools in his rookie season, which makes you wonder how good this kid can become

slashing ability, mid range game, 3-pointers and is a crafty player (@HailBlazers, you made a good comparison, although i see some b-roy in him too, looks like a hybrid)
 
Hoopguru said:
I think Keon is talented and could be a starter down the road somewhere, however, if Cronins mission is to make it Dame time and leap into contention asap, I just dont see room for too many youngsters on the team, come fall.
I think Joe could use the ones under contract in trades, but I just dont see more than 2/3, young non role players on the team and that would include maybe 1 draft pick this year. Yeah there is the G league or two way.
I expect the next 1/2 years to be all in, on getting Dame in contention with min players and season vets.
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Yeah, the mix of ages will be interesting. I think we need a blend for sure. I look at what the Lakers did this last off-season and I view it as a mistake. Maybe instead of surrounding the 37-year-old LBJ with older vets, they should have gone with younger players who bring energy and let LeBron lead them. Maybe that is not in his DNA but I think it is with Dame.

The 5 youngsters I would keep for sure (unless they were demanded in a trade) are:
Simons, Little, Watford, Brown, Keon, and our #1 pick

Then we have Nurk, Hart, and Winslow who are in their mid to late 20s (Maybe Eubanks as well)
That leaves the possibility of Grant (28) and another backup center. That is 12 players, 6 young and 6 who are mid to late 20s

The other 3 players will be interesting. I am hoping for another PF (MLE) who will make the rotation and a backup PG (maybe Dunn or Williams)
Maybe Didi as well?

Edit: Oops I forgot to include Dame. So subtract one of those options. I also forgot the 2nd rounder who could be just as good as a late 1st rounder.
 
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I still see Keon as a valuable complementary commodity who'll be able to hold his own in the rotation of a contending team in a couple of years. I don't think he'll ever be a star or a main option, but he scores enough, defends enough (with upside in that regard) and handles well enough ... he's a Swiss Army knife that will draw a lot of favorable matchups so long as he's not THE guy. Think he's too small to play the 3 in regular situations, though.
 
No expert but I like the look of his shot.
 
Cugel said:
No expert but I like the look of his shot.
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It's better than advertised but streaky and deliberate.

He's getting off a lot of set shot 3s now because the other tanking teams we're playing don't have athletes who can handle Keon if he drives and there's enough of a book that his shot is suspect that they'll let him have it. Play a good defensive team with something to play for and he won't have that kind of time and space; he needs to quicken his release considerably.

Even with that caveat, I like what I think he'll bring. I don't think the outside shot will ever be a reliable calling card for him, but, if he can make it so it isn't a major liability, that'll be super.
 
Perfect example of what I wrote yesterday about Keon's outside shot. He doesn't get that off against even average defense. It's slow-motion and no elevation.
 
PCmor7 said:
Perfect example of what I wrote yesterday about Keon's outside shot. He doesn't get that off against even average defense. It's slow-motion and no elevation.
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Reminds me of what was said about Dame before we drafted him.
 
Pinwheel1 said:
Reminds me of what was said about Dame before we drafted him.
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Dame's shot when he came into the league had a really low release point. But it was never slow, and he could get it off using both the hop and the one-two and was quite accurate even when contested. He was actually quite advanced as a shooter when he came in-- just needed to raise his arms a bit. And no elevation??? Are you talking about Dame?
 
PCmor7 said:
Perfect example of what I wrote yesterday about Keon's outside shot. He doesn't get that off against even average defense. It's slow-motion and no elevation.
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More like perfect example of confirmation bias. It’s “slow” on purpose, he’s talked about it before. It allows him to be consistent with his mechanics. It’s how some other players who struggled became passable shooters over their careers, like Ricky Rubio and Rajon Rondo. Keons game is never gonna revolve around his three point shot. He just needs to get it to the point where he can knock down the open ones. And he’s accomplishing that.
 
Scalma said:
More like perfect example of confirmation bias. It’s “slow” on purpose, he’s talked about it before. It allows him to be consistent with his mechanics. It’s how some other players who struggled became passable shooters over their careers, like Ricky Rubio and Rajon Rondo. Keons game is never gonna revolve around his three point shot. He just needs to get it to the point where he can knock down the open ones. And he’s accomplishing that.
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You're actually telling me I'm wrong by saying even Keon says he agrees with me. Interesting.

In other words, I didn't say the reason it was a slow, deliberate, methodical release. I said he had a slow, deliberate, methodical release. The reason for having a slow, deliberate, methodical release is immaterial unless you're trying to conflate issues for some reason.
 
illmatic99 said:
Dame's shot when he came into the league had a really low release point. But it was never slow, and he could get it off using both the hop and the one-two and was quite accurate even when contested. He was actually quite advanced as a shooter when he came in-- just needed to raise his arms a bit. And no elevation??? Are you talking about Dame?
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I am talking about the concern about Dame by a few of our posters. He immediately put that to rest during summer league only a couple of weeks later. A low release point is not a concern of mine. I don't view Keon as a superstar, so most of his 3 point shots will only be taken when he is wide open. He elevates just fine when he is attacking the basket.
 
Pinwheel1 said:
I am talking about the concern about Dame by a few of our posters. He immediately put that to rest during summer league only a couple of weeks later. A low release point is not a concern of mine. I don't view Keon as a superstar, so most of his 3 point shots will only be taken when he is wide open. He elevates just fine when he is attacking the basket.
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im not talking about keon. i'm just wondering who said Dame had a slow release and low elevation as a youngin?
 
illmatic99 said:
im not talking about keon. i'm just wondering who said Dame had a slow release and low elevation as a youngin?
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My notes don't go back 10 years on who said what. But I can assure you it was a topic of conversation before the draft, about his low release, and the low level of competition that he played against.
 
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Ed O said:
I liked it. I thought that Collins still had a future as a Blazer and that RoCo was MUCH better than he turned out to be. I think was at a "B" level or so... not thinking it was a fantastic trade, but not thinking it was a waste of draft picks. At this point? It was an "F". A total failure of a trade.

By the time we traded for Nance, it was apparent we were just wasting draft picks and my D- grade from there is just about what I'd give it now.
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illmatic99 said:
im not talking about keon. i'm just wondering who said Dame had a slow release and low elevation as a youngin?
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Pinwheel1 said:
My notes don't go back 10 years on who said what. But I can assure you it was a topic of conversation before the draft, about his low release, and the low level of competition that he played against.
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Did a quick forum search. @Blaze01--who famously excoriated the Blazers for taking Dame over "Harrison effing Barnes", and subsequently left the forum shortly after Dame proved to be everything we hoped he might be and more-- is the primary guy who criticized his shot's release point. @Nikolokolus-- also long gone-- claimed it had many "hitches", but also said they were correctable and would speed up his shot.

Pretty much everyone else said those guys were nuts.
 
i was re-watching some of the draft from last year, and it's wild how high Schmitz was on Keon. Had him around the top 10 on his big board kept bringing up his name as a lottery talent incessantly. Appears Cronin is also on that level to some capacity.

needless to say, i don't think he'll simply be a throw in.



 
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Our first rounder from last year looked good last night!



But seriously, I hope they keep developing him as a PG. He flashes a lot of good stuff there and has plus size for a lead guard. I also liked the defense he played on Ivey.
 
Scalma said:
Our first rounder from last year looked good last night!



But seriously, I hope they keep developing him as a PG. He flashes a lot of good stuff there and has plus size for a lead guard. I also liked the defense he played on Ivey.
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A PG who can play defense? That is so un-Portland. :bgrin:
 
He’s got plenty to work on for PG skills, but a true combo guard who D’s up … with his athleticism … will get paid for a long time. He’s got time.
 
HoopsFanAZ said:
He’s got plenty to work on for PG skills, but a true combo guard who D’s up … with his athleticism … will get paid for a long time. He’s got time.
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Agreed with that. He could be like smart. A tough defender with a good team first offense. Smart can play point guard but isn’t the best at it. I see the same for Keon
 
illmatic99 said:
i was re-watching some of the draft from last year, and it's wild how high Schmitz was on Keon. Had him around the top 10 on his big board kept bringing up his name as a lottery talent incessantly. Appears Cronin is also on that level to some capacity.

needless to say, i don't think he'll simply be a throw in.



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And people say we got robbed in the Clippers trade. We’ll see, won’t we?
 
Natebishop3 said:
Nope.
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i dunno. i'm obviously happy to see his improvement, but still question what his impact can be on a team where he will struggle to get PT. Think I woulda rather asked to get a late first or an early second from somewhere instead.

But let's see if he can get better to force the point where he forces Chauncey to play him.
 
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